As part of its commitment to ensuring access to affordable broadband connectivity in Africa’s underserved populations, Tizeti, which describes itself as West Africa’s pioneer solar-based internet service provider, is rolling out its LTE network in Nigeria’s Edo State.
With this move, says the company, millions of people in Edo State in Southern Nigeria previously outside the broadband envelope can now take advantage of high-speed broadband internet.
The company says it has been building brand-new, solar-powered, 4G-capable towers in Edo, starting with the capital Benin City, which leverages Edo State’s fibre network built by some of Tizeti’s partners, MainOne and Facebook.
The chief executive officer of Tizeti, Kendall Ananyi, said: “Edo State has a large population of vibrant, young people and a high number of higher institutions, which provides a foundation for a robust and thriving ecosystem to enable digital leadership.”
He added that the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, is implementing reforms in investment promotion and has shown determination to build a robust technology ecosystem in the state, with an agenda that prioritizes ICT-compliant pedagogy in primary schools, improves digital skills for students and graduates, and revamps technical education to increase productivity.
“This has created a perfect environment for us to roll out our low-cost broadband service, starting in Edo State, but with plans to expand across the country over the next few months”, he concluded.
Given the size of the student population, cost is important. The 4,000 naira (about $8) monthly cost, with a one-off installation cost of 4,000 naira, makes the plan affordable, the company says, especially to undergraduate students.
Tizeti currently has 1.7 million unique users, with broadband services that include a new Skype-like personal and business enterprise communications service — WiFiCall.ng – and access to video streaming sites and services.
